Sorry drbabs, got that stupid error message again whe I tried to get the recipe. I am really getting sick and tired of this site. Can not understand why they had to try and fix something that was not broke!!

Sorry drbabs, got that stupid error message again whe I tried to get the recipe. I am really getting sick and tired of this site. Can not understand why they had to try and fix something that was not broke!!

To be honest, most of those store bought boxed mixes have that moist texture because they are full of additives and fats. I was once assisting a friend of mine at a wedding cake tasting and the mother of the groom commented that one of the cakes was dry. She explained that her cakes were made with all-butter, but if you were used to store-bought cakes or boxed mixes it would seem dry because those are made with hydrogenated shortening, fillers and starches.

So, read the ingredients list from a box of Duncan Hines and maybe do some molecular-gastronomy type playing around! You might find your own winning combination. If I was on this mission myself, I would maybe try adding some non-hydrogenated shortening to the recipe and see what happens.

Sorry to disagree, but not only is the chocolate bund cake (a winner on site here) a good one, but I have one too that uses oil, eggs and sour cream/buttermilk/yogurt. No hydro oils, no chems. Just a great simple cake, moist with open textured holes as asked for.

Not as elegant as a butter cake. Not as dry either? Maybe the baker needed to present it with filling.

There is a cake on this site that has what you want. Cupcakes will be fine, just adjust temp, as mentioned above. There will be a light texture with open holes, as opposed to a velvet crumb of a butter cake. Still it is good! No need for frosting imo, but do as the occasion suggests.

FYI, looking through King Arthur baking catalog there is a white powder they sell called "cake enhancer" they promise will make cakes softer, moister, and fresher longer. But freaky they don't say what it is made of.

I have seen recipes from then that call for 'dough enhancer' and they also specify that you can use nonfat dry milk for it. So maybe cake enhancer is that or buttermilk powder based. Would make sense to me. And only one Tbsp is used for 2 9-inch layers. Worth a try.

Don't think I've had a mix chocolate cake for a while, but I'll second the Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe drbabs, linked above. Very moist and delicious. Also - not to be totally prosaic - but the really simple chocolate cake right on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box has that open springy texture you mean (I think) and is quite moist - in fact, it's so wet/loosed when you pour the batter in the pan, you almost think it can't be right. I don't see why you couldn't do it as cupcakes, just adjusting the oven time. In terms of getting that depth of chocolate-y flavor, I'm a big believer in cocoa powder (as opposed to, e.g., just melted chocolate.)

The chocolate buttermilk cake in Susan Purdy's Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too is my most favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe. It looks a bit complicated - you whip the egg whites. But it is moist with a great crumb. When made with good Dutched-cocoa (Penzey's is what I can get), the cake is almost black and very intense.